Spent a couple of hours there last night and was surprised how pen seems to be deterioating.

It seems pretty standard to cut 2 decks off and even more with 1 particular dealer.
Last year was able to get 75%- 80% at times.
Does anyone know if this is pretty standard with all gala`s now? or only there?

Another thing I noticed, only 2 BJ tables which are pretty packed most of the time. Surprisingly 2x 3 card poker tables were open. And 4 Roulette tables!

The BJ jackpot now stands at £225, 000 with a supposed house edge of 17%. £1 for a wager on it. 4 suited aces takes it (as Colin has stated here before.)
Drinks are still free (if you are playing). But it cost us a tenner for a bottle of cider and a beer at the bar.

Has the recession hit Gala so bad? I was really under the impression that BJ has been put aside as a secondary game.
I decided even with the crappy pen, to play a few shoes. Had 1 nice shoe with a good count at the end, and then zap- the cut card! Tried hinting for better pen, but they were having none of it. I`m just a red chipper myself spreading 1-12 which is probably not even enough to beat this game anymore. Here I only managed only 1-8 as the count just really never got high enough to allow a max bet.

Quite disappointing really, hope this is not going to become a trend
You would think with the amount of ploppies still playing there that their bottom line with BJ would be rather good.
a couple of examples of a few ploppies playing last night….
1. One who did not realise that BJ pays 3-2. And thought that a dealer 21 (not BJ) pushes a player winning BJ
2. a serial splitter- I swear this guy would split everything against a dealer 10. Lost his roll in about 8 minutes.
3. The jackpot players- pumping pound after pound onto that sidebet, losing all, withdrawing more cash from the ATM and coming back for more.
4. The usual flow players- Damn these people make me laugh! There was nearly a fight at the other table due to one player fookin up the sacred order.

It seems to be on a national scale anyway, and ongoing, as the dealer pointed out that someone had won about 95 Grand on it at one of their branches down south. Wonder how much he lost before winning it…..

Quote:tezzadiversaid:Spent a couple of hours there last night and was surprised how pen seems to be deterioating.

It seems pretty standard to cut 2 decks off and even more with 1 particular dealer.
Last year was able to get 75%- 80% at times.
Does anyone know if this is pretty standard with all gala`s now? or only there?

Penetration is absolutely fine in my neck of the woods, nothings changed apart from now they are actually allowing you to play one hand at a table when heads up instead of 2.

Apart from Queensway branch then, if a punter was willing to wager £100 a time they would insist you played two hands of £50 rather than one of £100. You can see why the Gala Coral group are in the financial mire?

I ended up being the only player left on a table once, and the dealer said he was sorry but I’d have to play two hands – as it was a house requirement (??). Gave it some about whenever I moved to two hands my luck always changed, and inevitably I’d lose, so would prefer not to. So Gala paid this guy a quarter of an hour’s pay to sit and chat with me about football, the vagueries of shiftwork, travel, yada yada . . . Beggars belief.

Quote:UK-21said:Apart from Queensway branch then, if a punter was willing to wager £100 a time they would insist you played two hands of £50 rather than one of £100. You can see why the Gala Coral group are in the financial mire?

I ended up being the only player left on a table once, and the dealer said he was sorry but I’d have to play two hands – as it was a house requirement (??). Gave it some about whenever I moved to two hands my luck always changed, and inevitably I’d lose, so would prefer not to. So Gala paid this guy a quarter of an hour’s pay to sit and chat with me about football, the vagueries of shiftwork, travel, yada yada . . . Beggars belief.

This made me laugh
It clearly shows that they have absolutely no clue on how to run succesful games! I have consistently found them to be extremely `old school` in their way of thinking, but I think they will have to up their game to compete with the newer, more marketed casino`s out there- or be left behind.

I love how clueless they are at Gala, Ive spread 1-20 without anyone even taking notice.

On a slightly less relevant note to blackjack in particular, the Gala is well decorated, well lit, and a way better atmosphere than anywhere else. (In my area anyway)

This alone gives them the business they need.

Im playing ‘the best game in town’ at the moment (very low minimums, 80-85% Pen, usual UK rules) and I cant wait till im done there. Its dark, dingy, full of people who havent washed for days, and probably havent left the casino for equally as long.

Im playing ‘the best game in town’ at the moment (very low minimums, 80-85% Pen, usual UK rules) and I cant wait till im done there. Its dark, dingy, full of people who havent washed for days, and probably havent left the casino for equally as long.

Depressing place.

And the location . . . . ? Answers on a postcard please.

Sounds as though it could be the gala in Northampton? First time my wife and I went there, with friends, we were all suited and booted (was told when we called beforehand that there was a strict dress code – yeah right!) and we all stood out like the proverbial bulldog’s. I think they must have been giving away a free bet voucher for every stain patrons had on their t-shirts that night. It reminded us of a DSS waiting room on signing-on day. Not a place to rush back to for a night out . . .

Gala near me still offers generally good pen 75-80% and sometimes better. I was there a while back and one dealer was on occasion cutting off less than a deck. One of those nights though and I lost 25 units!

Went to one further afield and they were cutting 2 decks sometimes even more. Didnt stay long obviously but this along with other posts seems to show that perhaps they don’t really have a clear policy on the cut card at Gala. As a trend though it does seem to be younger dealers who cut deeper, maybe the older staff like to give themselves a bit of a break more often.

The atmosphere in Gala’s does always seem to be better than in other Casinos. I think in general they train their staff better – I cant remember ever being dealt to by stroppy staff there but in other joints stroppiness seems to be in the training manual. Im sure this is why they survive.

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